Jobs Australia 2014: Where are the jobs in the ACT?

Posted 25 Jun 2014,
by
Marni Williams

The workforce in the ACT is almost two per cent of the national workforce. Over the five years to November 2013, employment rose by 4.8 per cent or 9,700, below the national growth rate of 6.5 per cent.

However, the ACT enjoys a high rate of employment and in 2014 the ACT recorded an unemployment rate of 3.4 per cent, well below the national rate of 6 per cent.

The ACT workforce is highly skilled with only 30 per cent of its workers lacking post-school qualifications and most of its population holding a bachelor degree or higher qualification. The ACT has a low rate of certificate III or higher VET qualification holders with just 24 per cent, a huge seven per cent less than the average, reflecting the dominance of the public administration and safety industry.

The report notes that nine of 19 industries experienced jobs growth.

Notable changes from 2013 report:

Growth in education and training has slowed from 23.7 per cent in 2013 to 9.7 in 2014.

A significant decline in information, media and telecommunications of 45.9 per cent in 2013 has turned around to become 5.4 per cent growth in this year’s report.

Professional, scientific and technical services were sitting at a growth rate of 5.9 per cent in the 2013 report and this has now moved to a 22.9 per cent decline as of the 2014 report.